Snow Weed
Snow Weed (nivas herbas) A small weed that grows all along the Morae River, The Snow Weed is believed to be the ancestor of all the variations of weeds that grow along the banks of the Morae. In the spring, Snow Weeds release thousands of tiny seeds into the wind during late spring. These seeds will travel for miles on the small puff of fiber protruding from it’s top. Snow Weeds are asexual plants and produce seeds without pollination, a process called apomixis. This is form of reproduction is effective but results in the offspring being identical to the parent which can result in a weak lineage.
Snow Weed Pod and Seedling
Female Balandic Cula
One of the more notable mammalian creatures in the Balandic Mountain region is the Balandic Cula, a small scavenger that can be found scurrying around the slopes of the mountains and just above the tree line. The Balandic Cula is the smaller of its larger cousin the Morae Cula |Môr-rā koõ-lah|. Culas are known to live near freshwater and can be very vicious animals. They do not live in packs but every so often young males will pair off to travel and hunt together. Inevitably, groups will form around kills and fighting will almost always ensue. The Balandic Cula mainly feeds on carrion. They follow herds of Mountain Uru waiting for the sick to finally die and will even eat each other if food is scarce. They also hunt very small game including The Banded Terrinsc. They have even been noted eating eggs, grasses, fruits, berries, and fish.
Male Balandic Cula
Balandic Culas have very deep chests that host a large set of lungs for running about the Mountain slopes where the air is thin. Their nostril is also large and is not divided by a septum (it is hollow from side to side). It is believed this allows more air to pass through the nostril to supply more oxygen to the body because of their hyperactive lifestyle. Another theory is that when picking though rotting flesh it allows meat and debris to slide through it rather than getting stuck, causing infection.
Male Balandic Cula Fight
This species of Cula is believed to have migrated up to these mountains about 950,000 years ago. Because of their rapid rate of reproduction, (females can have up to four litters a year) they have quickly adapted to the cold climate by growing thicker coats than their southern cousins.
Male Banded Terrinsc
Banded Terrinsc are the most peculiar of all the creatures that live in the Balandic mountain range. They are small amphibious burrowers that were isolated here before the mountains were formed, about 300,000 years ago. They are thought to have descended from a large species of amphibious fish called the Sabulo that lives further down south near Yabun pass.
Detail of Banded Terrinsc's face
They have almost lost their eyes and are mostly blind. They rely on their sensitive whisker-covered noses to lead them through the deep darkness under the tundra. Banded Terrinsc burrow deep under ground with some burrowing as deep as 15 feet but most usually stay within the range of plant roots. Banded Terrinsc eat a variety of grasses, roots and insects. They move slowly and rarely surface. Their leathery skin is covered in small, unseen receptors to help locate moving prey deep underground. Females are usually larger than males but both exhibit the same markings and color. The underground of the Balandic Mountain range stays at a mild 55 degrees year round and so the Banded Terrinsc can live here year round.
Female Banded Terrinsc
Female Spotted Bufodd (Bottom View)
The Spotted Bufodd is a small, winged arthropod that inhabits the High Wood. Of the many species of Bufodd found here, this particular species has a unique role. This small creature shares a symbiotic relationship to the largest predator in the highwood, The Gigatus. Because the Gigatus moves so slowly in such a moist climate, algae and fungi grow and thrive all over its translucent body. The Spotted Bufodd cleans and grooms this overgrowth of the Gigatus keeping the encroaching plants and fungi at bay. If it isn’t cleared away regularly, the Gigatus becomes susceptible to infection from the rotting plant and fungi matter. Spotted Bufodd are herbivores and their small flat mouths are well adapted for scraping up vegetation and fungi. While this plant growth can be potentially dangerous to the Gigatus, it provides a steady and plentiful diet for the Spotted Bufodd.
Male Spotted Bufodd
Spotted Bufodd rarely leave their chosen Gigatus, and will reproduce on the same host for generations, as their life span tends to be a mere four years. They attach their egg clusters to the Gigatus, usually near the underside of its body, using a sticky fluid that comes from the reproductive organs of the female. Females lay up to twenty eggs at a time. Most of the eggs will fall from the Gigatus before they hatch or be stolen by Mardiks and other canopy scavengers. Male and female Spotted Bufodd are usually the same size and weight so there is little difference between the sexes. Males will attach themselves to females for up to a fill day, depositing sperm into her epigyne or genital opening. Once the sperm has been deposited, the female will hold onto the sperm for months afterward. This increases the chance of having offspring if males are not present on the host.
Gigatus (Gender Unknown)
The Gigatus are the largest animals living in Yabun Forest. They grow to a staggering 6.7 m in height and weigh about 7 tons. These animals are arthropods, characterized by their segmented exoskeleton and jointed limbs and they have been documented to live for 80 years or more. The breeding habits of the giant are unknown but it is believed that they are hermaphrodites and are opportunistic breeders as they meet one another rarely.
Gigatus Mouthparts
Gigatus move so slowly that it takes them years to cover only 10 miles of forest. They stand and wait, ever looking down at the ground, waiting for something to cross their path. Gigatus possess a pair of compound eyes that are sensitive to movement and can see in a clear 360˚ view. They wait for prey to enter into their reach and swiftly drop their long tentacles down to sting the victim. The Gigatus’ tentacles hold a vast array of poisonous barbs that will become lodged in the prey and inject a series of two toxins. First, a neurotoxin to paralyze the victim instantly, then a hemotoxin to help break down the tissue. Death is quick for prey, as all respiratory systems shut down almost instantly. The Gigatus is in no hurry to pick up its catch. Some will wait a full three days until it finally lowers its body down to pick up the rotting carcass with its smaller arms. By this time the prey is soft and almost entirely digested, and only its skin seems to hold it together. After slurping up the prey through its mouth, the Gigatus drops what’s left of its meal onto the forest floor and waits again.
The Morae River is now available through Blurb.com as a 56 page book! It includes all of the animals and plants on the blog thus far and a few that haven’t been posted yet. You can find the link to the book in the sidebar or follow the link below for preview and purchasing. This book will only be available for a limited time (until the end of November) I am looking into an independent printer here in the States to print thicker, heavier versions of the complete book within the next year or so.
Thank you for all of your support and following of the blog. I hope you enjoy the book to those of you who purchase it.
You can find the book here: The Morae River
Note: The preview for the book is showing up in CMYK for some reason. I’ll upload pictures of the book I have here to give you a sense of the final product’s color.
Male Sabulo
The Sabulo is a large amphibious fish that mainly inhabits waters near the mouth of Yabun pass just below of the High Wood. They are found throughout the entire river however, and can become larger down south. This fish is the largest inhabitant in the Morae River itself, with both males and females weighing up to 90 kilograms and growing up to three meters in length. They are carnivorous fish, eating a wide range of prey, which they hunt by ambush through the reeds and grasses in and out of the water. Sabulos swallow their prey whole by positioning it to travel down the throat easily. They possess some of the strongest stomach acid of any creature in the Morae River, digesting everything they consume, including bone.
Female Sabulo
The Sabulo reproduces by laying eggs at the bottom of the river. The female will move her body in and out of grasses, tree roots and branches as she begins to release her egg sacks. These sacks are all connected by a membrane and rely on this entanglement to keep them anchored through the strong river currents. When they hatch the young Sabulos aren’t completely developed and possess primitive gills, which they use to breath underwater. They grow quickly and will develop into young adults five months after hatching. Once fully developed, the Sabulo can breath out of water though its skin and the lining of its mouth. They spend most of their day basking in the sun and fighting over riverbed territory.
Sabulos have good eyesight but an even better sensory system that lines their body. They can detect slight variances in water pressure and temperature, which helps them locate prey. Once they have located their prey they sit motionless, patiently waiting for it to swim by. Sabulos are very fast and can move quickly even on land. They are known to be incredibly aggressive which can be very dangerous considering they possess some of the largest teeth in the river.
Male Mountain Uru
The Mountain Uru is a large three-toed herbivore that lives along the slopes and ridges of the Balandic Mountains. They differ little in appearance when it comes to gender; however, males possess large antlers that are shed bi-yearly. Their fur is thick with two coats: an undercoat of soft wool and a topcoat of coarse hair to keep out moisture and to insulate during colder months. Mountain Urus are well suited to climb because of their flexible, modified toes. The presence of a dewclaw on the front and hind feet also helps in preventing the animal from slipping around slick rocks.
Female Mountain Uru
Mountain Urus are social animals and tend to travel in groups of 10-15 (all related females and their young) with a matriarch. Males travel alone and are known to be aggressive toward each other even killing the young in competition. Males will seek herds of females only to show off to potential mates. They do battle by emitting deep growls, clashing horns, and chasing each other along the slopes and rocks, trying to knock the other off balance. This fighting can result in severe injury and even death. Once males decide who is more suited to mate among themselves, they prance about displaying their prime for the females. Females give birth to young in mid spring when the weather is less turbulent.
Male Mountain Urus
Most Mountain Uru can usually be found climbing along the slopes and tundra looking for grasses and Fulmos, a large fungus that grows in the area, to graze on. They have to eat constantly to compensate for energy used in keeping warm.
